Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

Days are getting shorter and colder. We need to warm our bellies and this dish delivers.

Serves 6

Before cooking

1 tbsp Plain Flour
1 Onion, chopped
1 Red Pepper, Chopped
2 Red Chillies, de seeded and roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
500g Mince Beef
400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
600ml Beef Stock
1 tsp Smoked Paprike
1 tsp Chilli Powder (strength your own choice, I used Hot)
1 tsp Cumin
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
400g Can Red Kidney Beans
50g Dark Chocolate
Olive Oil

1. Turn your slow cooker on. If you want to cook for longer put on low. If you want a quicker cook turn to high. If there is a removeable hob safe dish take out and put on hob with a bit of olive oil over a medium heat. If not use a frying pan. Add the onion and mince beef. Leave in til the meat begins to brown and the onion soften. Put the pan back in the slow cooker or add the frying pan contents to the slow cooker.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the chocolate and season. Give a stir. And leave for the following

-Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

3. 30 Minutes before end add the dark chocolate and stir. Leave for 30 minutes. Serve with rice or other side you would like. Can be stored and eaten later. Allow time to cool before putting in containers and storing in Fridge or Freezer.

After Cooking

Serving Suggestion

Fish Tacos

So first post in a long while. I love fish and Mexican food. So this was an ideal combination

Serves 2

4 Taco Shells

Lettuce, shredded

Approx 200g Sustainable white fish (Eg Haddock, Cod, Pollack), cut into strips

Salsa

Sour Cream

Guacamole

2 Slices of White Bread, Breadcrumbed (blitzed in the blender)

2 Eggs

3 tablespoons of White Flour

1 Lime cut into wedges

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1 tsp Cumin

Olive Oil

1. Put the breadcrumbs, flour and eggs onto separate plates.

2. Mix the chilli powder, cumin and ground coriander into the flour with some pepper.

3. With each bit of fish, dip it into the flour, then egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Put onto seperate plate to fry.

4. Heat oil in a pan on a high heat. You know the oil is hot enough when you drop a bit of breadcrumb into the pan and begins to cook straightaway. Place the fish into the pan to cook. I would recommend doing the fish in batches.

5. The times will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. But a rough guide would be 3-5 minutes and then turn to cook the other side, this should be a golden brown colour on the fish (not like the over cooked fish in the picture). Place the fish on kitchen roll to get rid of excess oil. 

6. To assemble the taco; take a shell, place lettuce and spoon on some salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Then place the breaded fish on top. Squeeze a bit of lime. Serve with rice, salad or refried beans.

One fish got out of a taco

Spicy Bean, Mushroom and Pepper Quesadillas (V)

2 Vegetarian Dishes in a row.... Wow I am on a roll. This one is Mexican in origin with plenty of spice and flavour. Have it as a main meal with some rice, guacamole and sour cream or for lunch

Serves: 4
Dash of Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely sliced
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Red Pepper, diced
5-6 Mushrooms, sliced
Coriander, roughly torn
100g Cheese
Can of Red Kidney Beans
Can of Pinto Beands
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chilli Powder
8 Tortillas
Salt and Pepper
200ml Salsa, Plus Extra
Guacamole (Or Make Own Here)
Sour Cream

1. Heat the oil in the frying pan. Fry the peppers and mushrooms in the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2.  Add extra oil if it needs it. Add the onions and garlic to the pan until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the paprika, cumin and chilli powder and stir in. Add the beans with a dash of water and heat through for about 5 minutes. Get a masher and mash the beans, onions and garlic together. Taste and Season. Mix with the pepper and mushrooms.

3. Take a tortilla and spread the bean mix on the tortilla. Add a bit of salsa to the top. Add the cheese and coriander. Top with another tortilla. Wipe the frying pan and dry fry the tortilla on each side for a couple of minutes. Repeat this 3 times. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Chocolate Chilli Con Carne

Chocolate in a main? A sweet twist to the classic Texan dish. Can be served with tortilla chips or rice.

Serves 4


1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
2 Red Chillies, de seeded and chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, finely sliced
500g Minced Beef
400g Can of Chopped tomatoes
400g Can of Red Kidney Beans, drained
40-50g Dark Chocolate
300ml Beef Stock
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Chilli powder (Mild, Medium or Hot)
1 tsp Cumin
2 tbspn Tomato Purée

Cheese, grated

1. Put a large pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add oil to the pan. Add the onions and fry until softened. Continue to add the red chillies, pepper and garlic to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the spices to the pan and stir well. Fry for a further minute.

3. Add the mince beef to the pan. Stir to break up the mince. Cook until browned. This should take about 5-10 minutes.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock and dark chocolate to the pan. Reduce to a low heat and allow to simmer. Add the 2 tbspn of tomato purée to the pan. Allow to cook for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally so the contents doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the red kidney beans. And cook for a further 10 minutes to allow the beans to heat through. Taste the sauce and season if needed.

6. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Serve with tortilla chips or rice.

Spicy Breaded Chicken Strips, Chips and Mushy Peas

You can get breaded chicken strips in the supermarket, but they do taste better when you make them yourself.

Serves 4

Breaded Chicken Strips

3 Chicken Breasts

4 slices of bread, blitzed to make breadcrumbs

1 Egg, whisked

4 Tbps plain flour

The red bottle next to the spices is Chilli Oil. Splashed some
on the chicken breast (optional). Gave it a bit more spice.

2 Tsp Cayenne

2 Tsp Chilli Powder

Chips

4-5 Large Potatoes, peeled and sliced

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Mushy Peas

2 Mugs of Peas

1 Potato, peeled and chopped

Knob of butter

Mint

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200/180 fan assisted. Peal and slice the potatoes into chips and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes.

2. Drain the water from the pan. Put 2 tbps of olive oil and seasoning into the pan. Shake until chips are covered.

3. Tip the chips onto a baking try and put in the oven for 40 minutes. Turn halfway.

4. While the chips are cooking, place the chicken breasts between 2 cling film sheets. Flatten with a rolling pin.

5. Slice the chicken into strips.

6. Place the flour, egg (with a bit of water) and breadcrumbs (with the chilli powder and cayenne) onto separate plates. For each strip roll in flour, dip in egg and then roll in breadcrumbs and place on a plate.

7. Put the chicken in the oven to cook for 25 minutes

8. For the mushy peas, boil a potato and the peas in a pan of water. Once cooked all the way through, drain. Mash with the butter and the mint.

9. Serve

Beef and Bean Tortillas

Cheap and cheerful Mexican dish

Serves: 4

500g Mince beef
1 mug of beef stock
1 Onion, chopped
2 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of cumin
400g Can of chopped tomatoes
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 can of red kidney beans
Tortillas

Serve with: grated cheese, lettuce, guacamole and sour cream

1. Heat a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. Add the mince beef and fry for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add the red chilli, cumin and chilli power and cook for about a minute.

4. Then add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock and reduce the heat so the mixture is simmering. Cook for about 25 minutes until beef is tender and the mixture has reduced.

5. While the mixture is cooking, grate the cheese, shred the lettuce and put in bowls.

6. Serve in a bowl and let them dig in.